I first saw "Honeymoon in Vegas" in the theater (MovieWorld, Douglaston, NY). I've seen it many times since. It's great. It has Nicolas Cage at his best and Sarah Jessica Parker at her dreamiest. Writer/director Andrew Bergman is also at the top of his game in this movie. The supporting cast, music and location photography are also top-notch. There are big laughs throughout this movie. The last twenty minutes or so are classic. "Honeymoon in Vegas" never fails to hit the spot.

Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is a private investigator dealing with many broken relationships. He promised his mother on her deathbed never to get married. His 2nd grade teacher girlfriend Betsy Nolan (Sarah Jessica Parker) pressures him into marrying her. They go to Vegas where she catches the eye of hard gambler Tommy Korman (James Caan). She reminds him of his wife Donna. Tommy wins $65k from Jack in a rigged poker game. Tommy gets Donna to spend a weekend in exchange for erasing the debt.

This is all Jack's fault. Tommy is a shark but Jack is the one who took Tommy's money instead of walking away. It would be better for the story if both Jack and Betsy are at the game. Also it would be better if Jack borrows the money only after getting the hand. After the setup, the chase has a few fun moments. A manic Cage is always interesting. Caan is terrific as a tough guy. The start is a little wonky but Sarah Jessica Parker yelling that he made her into a whore is pretty funny. There are some sporadic laughs.

Many a movie has been set in Las Vegas, and Andrew Bergman's "Honeymoon in Vegas" is probably the average kind. I didn't consider it anything special, but also nothing bad. Just an innocuously silly comedy about a man (Nicolas Cage) and his lover (Sarah Jessica Parker) who honeymoon in the noted gambling Mecca, only to have a gangster (James Caan) try to ruin their relationship. Without a doubt the highlight was the skydiving scene. The movie is certainly fun to watch, and I figure that in that great concert hall in the sky, Elvis Presley must smile every time that someone watches it.

Also starring Pat Morita, Peter Boyle, Anne Bancroft, Seymour Cassel and Tony Shalhoub.